University of Louisville
at East Carolina *
Barber Blanks Pirates 7-0
May 18, 2002 | Baseball
May 18, 2002
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The University of Louisville's Scott Barber twirled a complete game five-hit shutout to lead the Cards to a 7-0 win over East Carolina in the last regular season game of the year Saturday.
With the win, the 2002 Cards are the winningest team in school history, notching its 39th victory of the season, surpassing the 38 won in 1980.
Barber(4-4) tossed his second consecutive complete game, walking four and striking out eight. He issued just nine two ball counts on the evening.
Cardinal first baseman Morgan Bojorquez walked to lead off the second, and an out later third baseman Mike Budak crushed a 2-1 pitch to deep left center field for his 11th home run of the season, and sixth in his last eight games.
With a 2-0 lead, DH Carlos De la Osa, and catcher Ken Tirpack both drew walks and shortstop Adam Haley singled home De la Osa. Second baseman J.T. LaFountain later singled in Tirpack for a 4-0 Cardinal advantage.
In the fifth, Bojorquez drew a one out walk, advanced to second on a walk to left fielder Josh Bolen and scored on an RBI single by De la Osa for a 5-0 Cardinal advantage.
Louisville pushed across another pair of runs in the seventh. Bolen smoked a one out double to the gap in right center and scored on a single by Budak. On a would be double play comebacker of the bat of Ken Tirpack, ECU pitcher Kieran Mattison launched the throw into center field, allowing Budak to score, putting the Cards up 7-0.
Barber had two or more runners on just twice, escaping a two-out bases-loaded jam in the fourth with a popup and a two-on, two-out scenario in the sixth on another popup.
Budak was 2 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored, while every Cardinal regular had a hit or a run scored.
Louisville finishes second in the regular season standings in C-USA and will face seventh-seeded South Florida(31-25, 16-14) Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Kinston, N.C., for the first round of the Conference USA tournament. The Bulls swept the Cards in Tampa during the regular season and have won nine of the last 10 with U of L.
It will mark the seventh postseason meeting between the two, with USF winning five. Louisville is 1-5 in the C-USA tourney against USF.
The double elimination, eight team tournament will take place in Kinston, North Carolina May 21-26.
